


January 26

by putconspiraciesinit



Category: 19th Century CE RPF, Historical RPF, Political RPF - US 19th c.
Genre: 1800 US Presidential Election, Abuse, Depressing, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Gen, Politics, Sad Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-08
Updated: 2019-09-08
Packaged: 2020-10-12 08:19:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20561174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/putconspiraciesinit/pseuds/putconspiraciesinit
Summary: This is, unfortunately, 100% based on a real meeting between Jefferson and Burr. The more I read about their relationship, the more I want someone to deck Jefferson, but alas, time travel hasn't been invented yet.Basic summary: this was the meeting where Burr realized that his relationship with Jefferson was fucked. Abuse tag is there as a "to be safe" warning; there isn't any graphic physical violence, Jefferson is just...generally awful.





	January 26

Everybody knew about Jefferson and Burr.

More specifically, everybody knew that Jefferson _ hated _ Burr. That he was behind his party’s in-progress character assassination of the man, that he didn’t care whether what James Cheetham was saying was really true or not as long as it made people hate Burr, that there had been no ‘misunderstandings’ in the election and that Jefferson had simply planned to betray Burr from the start. Everybody knew that Jefferson would like very few things more than he would like to see the name Aaron Burr wiped from history except to be reviled and mocked.

...Everybody, that is, except Aaron Burr.

Burr arrived at the White House on January 26 looking no worse than usual. He was still quite thin, he still had those bags under his eyes, but he was still immaculately dressed, still had that skip in his step. Everything about his face and body language seemed to say, _ this is it_. _ This is the day I clear it all up and things go back to civility_. _ He _ ’_ll finally understand_, _ if I can just explain _… he appeared to have utter confidence that that was exactly how this meeting was going to go, or if he doubted it, he did not show this doubt at all.

***

Jefferson sat at his end of the table dressed as sloppily as ever. His coat looked almost small enough to be only two or three sizes too big for Burr. His stockings had visible mud stains on them. His red leather breeches clashed awfully with his murky green corduroy waistcoat. Even at his inauguration, he had always dressed something like that. Burr didn’t judge. Not everybody could dedicate as many hours as he did to looking perfect. Thomas Jefferson was a very important and very busy man who must certainly have too many important things on his mind to think too much about how he looked.

“Good evening, Burr,” he said, in a flat, bored sort of tone.

“Good evening, sir!” the vice-president responded. “I have...quite a bit to say tonight, if that’s quite alright with you, sir.”

“Then say it. I haven’t got all night.”

Burr sat down, picked up the glass of wine sitting on the table in front of him, and nervously drank it all in a couple of seconds. Best not to do this fully sober. His manners would get the best of him. No, this required a loss of inhibitions. Burr had never told Jefferson outright how he felt. He may have hinted at it a couple of times, but to actually _ say _ it was something else entirely.

“Sir,” he began, “I feel like there is an elephant in the room that needs to be addressed.”

“Then address it, Burr.”

“When you asked me, back in 1800, to manage the party’s campaign and to get you the northern states, I made every effort to do it. And I did so only to aid you, to aid the Democratic-Republicans! Because I really do believe we have more to offer this country than the Federalists do. I was not thinking of my own political advancement; please, sir. You must believe me when I say that I told those conspiring to put me in your place that they really ought not to do that. I wrote to some of the others to let them know what was happening, I’m certain they will show you the letters, if they still have them.”

“Burr--”

“Wait, sir. I have not yet finished. You see, I do feel that the Clintons and Livingstons have become rather hostile towards me in these past few years, especially in the press, with that awful Mr. Cheetham and his...tabloid. I have done my best to simply let it blow over, but it is not showing any signs of doing so, so I wanted to clear things up. Please, sir. Tell them they’ve no reason to attack. This has all just been a horrible, horrible misunderstanding. If you ask the others to relent, I will not hold it against any of you! Things can go back to--”

“_Burr _!”

“...Sir?”

Jefferson took a deep breath.

“Burr, there has been no misunderstanding.”

“I’m...not sure I understand what you mean by that, sir.”

_ For God’s sake, Burr_, thought Jefferson, _ we _ betrayed _ you! How have you still not realized that? _

Still, he couldn’t quite say that. In case anybody overheard. Burr could have no witnesses on his side.

“You expect me, the president, to meddle in the affairs of the press because you don’t like what they are saying?” cackled Jefferson.

“But...sir, you know it isn’t true. I have _ proof _ it isn’t true! Absolute proof!”

“I don’t care!”

“How can you not care? Was this not all about clearing up corruption in the party? About clearing up infighting? Sir, the Clintons and the Livingstons are participating in both of those things! I haven’t got your money and power, sir. I’ve nothing to fall back on, if they continue this way, I will be--”

“I don’t _ care_, Burr! It would be...improper of me to interfere. So I won’t do it.”

“Sir…”

“Good day, Burr.”

“Sir! You cannot--you _ cannot _ simply leave me at the mercy of Clinton and Livingston! They’ll have me destroyed! Who will campaign for you, if I’m destroyed, sir? Clinton and Livingston? They couldn’t do it before I came along, they won’t do any better after I’m gone! For your _ own _ sake, for the Democratic-Republican party’s sake, please!_ Help _me!”

“I said good _ day_, Burr!” shouted Jefferson, standing up and practically storming out of the room.

***

Burr left the White House on January 26 looking utterly drained. His usually unwavering smile had disappeared, and he now simply stared off into space, his eyes as wide as saucers, as though gazing in exhausted half-terror at something a thousand yards away. He walked as though he could not get away from the presidential mansion quickly enough, as though nothing but sheer social convention was keeping him from simply running away.

_ Jefferson_, he thought, _ is either a liar and a backstabber _ , _ or he has abandoned me completely _.

His expression slowly grew into a recognizably angry one. _ Damn Thomas Jefferson_, _ and his damned _ ridiculous _ too-small coat_, _ and the way he can never be bothered to wash the dirt from his stockings_, _ and _ who _ wears green corduroy with red leather? What ungodly sort of a combination is that? Certainly even such a pompous, arrogant, narcissistic excuse for a leader could _ stand _ to put in some effort, at least!_

Tears welled in Burr’s eyes. He tried very hard to blink them back. _ Damn Jefferson and his stupid Declaration, he clearly didn’t believe a _ _word of the damned thing! And the way he never does anything himself, always making somebody else do it. He can’t be bothered, can he? Too important, that Jefferson. Too important to care about lowly middle-class lawyers or campaign managers. Too important to care if some naive, misguided nobody works himself into an early grave in his name. _

It was no use. The tears began streaking uncontrollably down Burr’s cheeks, despite his efforts to remain composed. He sobbed.

  
“I’m so stupid!” he cried, addressing nobody in particular. “God damn me, I’m so _stupid_!”


End file.
